Grain-grader.



. G. .H; RICH.

GRAIN GRADEB. APPLI GATION FILED NOV. 2. 1908.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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1H! NORRIS PETERS C01. wasmnmmv. n. c.

' a 11. RICH. GRAI ADER.

APPLICATION D NOV. 2. 1808.

Patented A 0,1909.

Z BHE -SHEET 2.

' GEORGE E. Morton onr'cneo, ILLINOJIS.

GRAIN-GRADER.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed Novembe; 2, 1908. Serial No. 460,653.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE H. RIcH, a

citizen of the United-States, residing at Chi-;

cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Graders, of which the following is aspecification. H V

This inventionrelates to certain new and useful improvements in grain graders, the object being to improve the construction of machines of this class, whereby more capacity chine. g

It further relates to improvements in that class of grain graders which are constructed of spaced rings which are arranged in the form of a cylinder and between the rings of which the grain is permitted toescape.

It further relates to improved means for kleeping the spaces between the rings free and c ear.

-In the grain grader of ordinary construct1on the rings are provided with inwardly projecting ears and 'rods which pass through said ears and are boltedupon the outer rings to clamp all of the parts together. The construction and arrangement of the ears of the ordinary ring graingrader is such that considerable of the inner surface of the cylinder is taken up by the ears and the grain is caught by the ears so that the spaces between the rings adjacent to said ears become clogged and the capacity of the cylinder is reduced to a considerable extent. It is my purpose to construct the earsin such a manner that the danger of clogging. at this point will be avoided as well as at any other point whereby the grain may escape from the cylinder at any point in the spaces between the rings. I find that it is extremely advantageous to employ rings having plane cylindrical faces so that the rings may be placed side by side to form a long plane cylinder which contains spaces between the rings. The reason for thisis, that the board which is usually employed to scrape the surface of the cylinder and force back into the interior thereof any obstacles which may become firmly embedded between the rings, may have a straight edge bearing uponthe cylinder. 5

To such ends this invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement, a description of which will be found in the following specification, and the essential features of which will be more defimay be obtained in agiven size of manitely pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith in which Figurel is a View partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section of a grain grader containing my improvements, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the grading cylinder, Fig. 4 is a detail, enlarged section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a brush mechanism, Fig. 8 is a face view of a fragment of one of the rings of the grader, Fig. 9 is a similar view of an adjacent ring, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a fragment of a number of rings and Fig. 11 is a view of a modified form of the invention.

In Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, A, is the casing of the grain grader and contains a top and bottom, a, b, and division platforms, 0 and d. The division platforms and bottom preferably slant downward toward discharge openings c, f, 9, so that when the graded grain falls upon these division platforms and bottom it may freely escape out through the discharge openings and be carried into suitable bins or receptacles.

The rading cylinder is seen at B, and is rotatabdy sup orted within the casing. The grading cylin er may of course be journaled to extend in a vertical line or upon a slightly inclined angle from the horizontal, as may be desired. When the cylinder is ournaled in a horizontal or slightly inclined direction, the

grain falls by gravity out through the spaces between the rings, but when the cylinder is journaled in avertical line, it becomes necessary to provide means for throwing the grain out through the spaces. As shown in the preferred form, the cylinder is journaled in a vertical line. The cylinder comprises a plurality of rings 10 10, which are arranged side by side and spaced apart so as to leave spaces 11, through which the grain may escape. The cylinder is dividedudp into a plura ity of grading sections an while the spaces between the rings of each section are equal, the spaces of the ring sections vary in size, the narrowest spaces being at the top and the widest spaces at the bottom, where by the smallest grain may escape at the top of the cylinder while the larger grain will not escape until it reaches a lower point upon the cylinder whereupon it may escape through grades of grain as they become graded.

The rings contain inwardly extending cars 12, which have bosses 13, upon their ends that are slightly wider than the rings and said bosses provide the means whereby the rings are spaced apart. Bolts or rods 141, extend through perforations in said bossses and connect the rings together. Upon the upper end of the cylinder is placed a gear wheel 15, which is provided with spokes 16, through which the rods 14, extend, and the lower- I most ring 17, has spokes 18, that run to a central hub 19, which rests upon the lower bearing 20. The gear wheel 15, and rings are all clamped together by means of the rods 14, and nuts 21, threaded upon their ends.

In the form shown in the drawings the ears 12, extend angularly from the hubs 13, to the rings, so that the point of connection between each ear and the ring is at a point located somewhat to one side of a radial line passage through the center of the hub. ears on the rings 10, extend in the same direction', while the ears on the intermediate rings 10 are reversed so that the ears on the alternate rings will all run from the hubs to a point on one side of said radial lines, whereas the ears on the intermediate rings will run to a point on the op osite side of said radial lines. The effect of this is that very narrow 'rings may be employed and yet the spaces between the ears are wide enough for the grain to readily enter between said ears and escape through the spaces between the rings at t e points where the ears are located as well as at the intermediate points.

When a vertical cylinder is employed in the device, a beater, C, is used to throw the grain by centrifugal force out through the spaces between the rings. One form on said beater consists in a beater cylinder 22, which has shafts 23, 24, journaled in the bearings 20, 25, respectively. The shaft 23, extends through the hub 19, of the lowermost ring 17, of the cylinder and furnishes the axis for the lower end of said cylinder, while the beater cylinder or shaft 24, extends through the gear wheel 15, and furnishes a bearing at the upper end for the grading cylinder. Said beater cylinder 22, has a number of heaters or blades 26, extending out from it, which blades are adapted to strike the grain as it falls into the space between the beater and grading cylinders and throw it away from the beater cylinder and out through the spaces between the rings. The smal er grain will escape through the narrower spaces at the upper end of the grading cylinder, whereas the larger grain will fall back and be subsequently thrown out through the wider spaces.

The

l A hopper, D, is secured above the grading 5 cylinder and the grain is fed through this L hopper and discharged into the space hetween the beater cylinder and grading cylinder. A suitably driven shaft, E, is journaled in a bracket, 0 and carries upon its end :1 ppinion 5 which meshes with the gear wheel l 15. The shaft, E, driven at a comparatively low speed and serves to turn the grading cylinder slowly around, while the shaft 24, is driven at a very high rate of speed, so l as to give the beater a very rapid rotary l motion for the purpose of throwing the grain l outward and through the spaces between the 1 rings.

Adjacent to the cylinder are brushes, F, which may be secured to the casing by means of brackets, f, and the bristles 27, of said brushes project toward the cylinder and are crowded into the spaces between the rings by pins 28, that are secured upon pin supports here shown as strips 29. The strips 29, are adjustably mounted upon the bodies of the brushes by means of arms 30, whereby the pins may be moved toward or away from the face of the cylinder to crowd the bristles into the spaces. As shown the arms are slotted and set screws 31., extend through the slots and clamp the arms in place upon the bodies of the brushes. The pins 28, compress the bristles into individual sections, so that the bristles will enter the spaces between the rings instead. of bearing upon the outer faces thereof. In this manner the spaces between the ring are heat free inasmuch as the coinpact sections of bristles brush back into the cylinder any grain which may become lodged in the spaces between the rings. It may be desirous to use a board, G, for forcing back into the cylinder the more solid material that may become lodged between the rings. This board acts as a scraper and acts to force back into the cylinder any material which the brushes are unable to act upon.

Fig. 11 illustrates the manner of arrangement when the cylinder is mounted upon a slightly inclined plane. In this case of course, the beater is dispensed with, as the grain falls by its own gravity upon the lower inner faces of the rings and escapes through the spaces between them. In this view the cylinder is seen at 40, and is supported upon a frame work 41, and driven by the shaft 42. A chute 43, is employed through which the material is fed into the cylinder, and hoppers 44, 45, are provided to carry away the grain as it falls from the cylinder.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, the operation of the machine is as follows: Grain is fed into the hopper, D, and falls into the space between the beater cylinder and grading cylinder and is discharged out through the spaces between the rings of the grading cylinder, the finer grain passing out through the narrower slots and the coarse grain passing out through the wider slots toward the bottom of the. cylinder. The grain falls upon the platforms and bottom and is discharged through the discharge openings into suita le receptacles.

In the form shown in Fig. 11 the grain is fed into the cylinder through thehopper 43, and falls out through the space between the rings and into the discharge hoppers 44, 45.

I am aware that various alterations and modifications of the details ofconstruction are possible without departing from the spirit of this invention, and I do not'therefore desire to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a grading cylinder, the combination with a series of suitably separated rings, of hubs for separating the rings, ears connecting the hubs with the rings, the adjacent ears be ing angularly disposed with respect to each other to provide enlarged passageways'between the alternate ears for the free passage of grain, and rods extending through said hubs and connecting the rings together.

2. In a grading, cylinder, the combination with a series of suitably spaced grading rings, of hubs adapted to space said rings apart, rods passing through said hubs for clamping the rings together and ears extending from said hubs to the rings, said ears extending in an angular direction from the hub to the ring and the adjacent ears extending in op osite.

directions to each other, whereby e arged spaces are provided between the alternate ears for affording a free passageway for the grain between them.

3. In a grading cylinder, the'combination of a series of suitably separatedrings, hubs for spacing the rings apart, rods extending through the hubs and having clamping nuts on their ends, and a plurality of ears on each ring, extending inward therefrom and connecting the rings with the hubs, the ears on i each ring being arranged out of longitudinal alinement with the ears on the adjacent rings to leave unobstructed passageways between and suitably supported pins for crowding the bristles of the brush into the outlet openings of the cylinder.

5. In a grain grader, the combination with a cylinder having a series of outlet openings through which the graded grain passes, of a brush mounted adjacent to the cylinder, a series of pins extending through the bristles of said brush and adapted to crowd the bristles into the outlet openings of the cylinder, a support for said pins, and an adjustment device for adjustably connecting said supportto the brush.

6. In a grain 'rader, the combination oia lane grading cy inder having a series of outet openings through which the graded grain passes, of a brush mounted adjacent to said cylinder, and means independent of the cylinder for separating the bristles into sections and crowding them into the outlet openings.

7. In a grain grader, the combination of a grading cylinder having a series of outlet openings through which the graded grain passes, a series of pins for dividing the bristles into sections and crowding the sections into the outlet openings in the cylinder, a strip upon which said pins are mounted, slotted arms secured to said strips and screws passing through the slots of said arms and 7 adapted to clamp the arms u on the brush.

GEORG H. RICH. IVitnesses CHARLES O. SHERVEY,

CHARLES H. RICHARDS. 

